A. Field of invention
The present invention relates generally to devices used in ammunition reloading and more particularly to a new and improved device for installing primers in ammunition cartridges.
B. Description of Related art
In the reloading of used ammunition cartridges, the handling and installation of new primers into the cartridge is a most difficult and tedious operation. The usual ammunition primer is a small cup containing a substance designed to ignite in response to impact. Due to their small size they are difficult to pick up and place in the installation device with proper orientation for installation. A number of devices attempt to aid in the handling and installation of primers, including the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,305 to Lee, however that device is not readily adaptable for use with the single station reloading press currently in common usage. Most single station reloading presses are equipped with a cup and punch designed to accept a primer of the proper size and are mounted on a pivotal primer arm. A primer must be placed into the cup with proper orientation and then the arm is swung into position to prime the case. The press ram with cartridge case in the shell holder is then lowered onto the primer to seat it into the primer pocket of the cartridge case. A conventional automated system for handling primers involves the use of a tube filled with primers and means to meter a single primer into the primer cup. The requirement of the conventional system is the loading of the tube with properly oriented primers, which is time consuming and usually augmented with a primer flipper to turn all of the primer right side up. Since the primers are stacked and axially aligned within a tube, handling the loaded tube is dangerous and requires great care. A safer primer handling technique uses is a trough to transport the primers to the reloading stage while in a parallel alignment, however, it is very difficult to transfer a primer from the end of a trough into the primer arm cup since attempts to drop the primer into the cup result in the primer tipping and not cleanly entering the cup in the proper orientation for installation.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a device for reliably and safely transporting a single primer from a supply trough to a primer loading cup while maintaining the proper primer orientation.